Feed mechanism for sheet material



May 17, 1932.

G. FULK 1,858,443

FEED MECHANISM FOR SHEET MATERIAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 9, 1931 Q 12 x2 ml; 40 415 4-8 :1: 3 4'2 v 5450 4,2 22 5 j' E7 5 g E 20 5 a 6 v '5 j 27 19 EH25 a s 18 g: E 5 Tu E. ti

INVENTOR George L.Fulk

BY 7% s.

ATTORNEY May 17, 1932. a. L. FULK 1,858,443

FEED MECHANISM FOR SHEET MATERIAL Filed May 9, 1951 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR George L. Fu/Lk Y 5 AM? S w ATTORN EY Patented May 17, 1932 entree stares tartar oF icE i GEORGE L. FULK, MENTOR, OHIO, ASSIGNOB, 'lO THE OVERFOLD COMPANY, OF

OHARDON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO FEED MircHAnrsM roe SHEET MATERIAL.

Application filed May 9,

This invention relates to feed'devices for sheetmaterial and more particularly to a device, for regulating the feed of paper stock to a folding machine to maintain exact registry'between the foldingmechanism and the \printed matter on the paper stock.

In the printing of manifold forms of the fan fold type, it is common practice to deliver the paper stock direct from the printing press a to folding machine which is geared to the press and so spaced and timed with respect to the press "cylinders that the paper is creased and-folded atregularly spaced points along the length thereof which are accurately positioned withrespect to the printed matter.

There-are, however, two serious disadvantages inherent in sucha combined printing and folding machine. First, the production of the printing pressjis-reduced for the reason that it is necessary to stop the press when ever the folding mechanism :fails to function properly, and since a very accurate timing 1 must be maintained considerable time is lost due to adjustments necessary in the folding machanism. Second, when a hard surface paper is used the ink does not have suflicient time to dry in its passage from the press to the folding mechanism, and the printedforms are smeared by the wet ink when the sheet is folded by the foldingmechanism.

The present inventionihas for its object to provide a folding machine capable of operating independently of theprinting presswand direct from a rollan'd rapidly fold the same on transverse lines accurately positioned with respect to the printed matter on the paper strip.

A further objectis to provide means indeadapted to take a strip of-printed paper stock "driven non-s1ip feed mechanism directly 1931. Serial No. 536,133.

geared to the folding mechanism to operate at an lnvariable speed ratio with respect to the folding mechanism, and having means associated with the feed mechanism for 111- creasing or decreasing the rate of feed of With the above and other objects in View the invention may be said to comprise the device asdisclosed in the accompanying drawings hereinafter describedand particularly setforth in the appended claims, together L machine.

I Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary detailviews illustrating the action of the feed regulator;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the feed mechanism; r

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line indicated at 55 in Fig. 1.;

Fig; 6 is a side elevation of the entire fold- -ing machine showing the manner in which the paper stock is fed to'the folding machine. The device of the present invention is shown'applied to a fanfold machine which is paper fromthefeed mechanism to the folding mechanism.

in it'selfold andwell known, said machine I bein provided with rotary devices for-alernate ly creasing the paper in opposite directions at uniformly spaced points along the length thereof and deflecting the strip first in one direction and then the other to. depositth'e folded strip ina pile. As herein shown, the folding machine is housed in a frame 1 which provides supports for parallel transverse shafts 2 and 3 which carry the folding devices, a delivery belt 4 being provided beneath the shafts 2 'ceive the folded strip.

and 3 to re- Upon the top of the frame 1 there is mounted a pair of upright standards 5 and a second pair of upright standards 6, the

standards of each pair being mounted, one

on the front wall of the frame '1 and the V 20 and 22 have parallel face portions 29 and of standards providing a housing for the mechanism for feeding the paper stock to the folding machine.

A horizontal shaft 7 is mounted in the standards adjacent the lower ends thereof, and ahorizontal shaft 8 is mounted in the standards 6 adjacent the lower ends thereof. A horizontal shaft 9 is mounted in the upper ends of the. standards 5 and a horizontal shaft 10 is mounted in the upper ends of the standards 6. A pair of spaced sprockets 11 are fixed to the shaft 7 between the standards 5 and a pair of sprockets 12 are fixed to the shaft 9 between thestandards 5 in alinement with the sprockets 11. A air "of sprockets 13 are fixed to the shaft 8 between the standards 6 and a pair of sprockets 14 are fixed to the shaft 10 between the standards 6 in alinement with the sprockets 13. A pair of endless chains 15 are mounted on the sprockets 13 and 14. The endless chains 15 are connected by uniformly spaced cross slats 17, and the chains16 are connected by uniformly spaced cross slats'18,the cross slats 17 and 18 having the same spacing on the chains so that the slats: register during their passage along the closely adjacent.

parallel inner runs of the chains.

The sprocket chains and cross slats provide a pair'of opposed feed belts which serve "to positively feed the paper strip downward- V ly to the folding machine. Each of the slats 17 and 18 is provided with a rubber facing strip 19'and the two belts'are so disposed that the paper strip is gripped between'the rubber strips 19 of the slats 17 and 18 during the downward passage of the slats along the inner runs of the two belts.

The slats are maintained in gripping engagement with the paper strip during their downward movement by means of guides 20 engaging the slats 17 adjacent the sprocket chains 16 and which are carried by cross bars 23extending between the standards 6. One

pair of guides is preferably yieldingly pressed towards the other to maintam a yielding pressure on the cross slats to firmly grip the paper strip between them. As herein shown, springs 24: are interposed between the guides 22 and the cross bars 23 to yield- 1 of, and flaring inner faces 27 and 28 at thelower ends thereof. Between the flared portions at their upper and lower ends guldes 30 which serve to maintain the cross slats in firm gripping engagement with the paper 1 during their passage between the latter portions of the guides;

The two endless feed belts are constantly driven at the same speed and the registering pairs of cross slats 17 and 18 are graduallymoved into gripping engagement with the paper strip during their passage downwardly between the flaring portions and 26 of the guides. It should be noted that the straight portions '29 and of the guides are from the folding machine, so that the feed mechanism is driven at a predetermined speed ratio with respect to the folding mechanism. As herein shown, the shafts 7 and 8 have gears 31 and32 fixed theretowhich mesh withgears; 33 and34, which in turn mesh with gears '35 and 36 which are fixed to the shafts 2 and 3 of the folding machine and which are in meshing engagement to cause the shafts 2 and 3 to turn at equal speeds in opposite directions.

Gears 31, 33 and are ldentical with gears 32, 34 and 36, respectively, so that the belts are driven in opposite directions at exactly the same speed with their inner runs moving downwardly toward the folding machine to feed the paper strip to the folding machine.

As shown'inFig. 6 of the drawings, the wide, flat sheet' of paper which has been printed is fed from a roll 37 upwardly over a guide roller 38 and over a suitable former 39which forms laterally spaced longitudinal creases in the paper and folds the same along the longitudinal creases. The paper strip passes from the former 39 through a guide 40 which gathersthe strip into superposed layers and directs the strip into thespacebetween the two feed beltswhich serve to continuously feed the strip downwardly to the folding machine. a

In delivering a strip of paper stock direct from a rollto a folding machine, it has been found to bevery difficult to keep the feed of the paper strip sufiiciently' uniform to maintain perfect'registry between the printed matter and the folding mechanism, particularly when the :folding mechanism is operated at high speed, since very slight variations in the rate of feed will cause the printed strip to creep with respect to the folding mechanism, with the result that the fold line will graduallyshift away from the correct points 'alongthelength of the strip.

. Themain purpose .of the present invention is to provide means in connection with the feeding mechanism whichwill enable the operator to instantly effect slight variations in'the rate of feed during operation of the machine to correct the registry between the strip 'and folding mechanism and bring the site ends of the shaft 9 outside the standards and a horizontal cross shaft 42 is journalled in the lower ends of these arms. The shaft is continnousl driven from the shaft 9 at substantially the same speed as the shaft 9 by means of a sprocket chain 43 which runs over sprockets 44 and 45 fixed to the shafts 9 and 42. The shaft 42 is positioned inwardly .of the guides and has fixed thereto a pair of bars 46and 47, each .of which is attached to the shaft midway between its ends. The bars 46 and 47 are positioned between the guides 20 closely adjacent thereto and are of a length to project inwardly past the guides 20 when disposed in horizontal position as shown in Fig. 1. Rollers 48 are journalled bet-ween the outer ends of the bars 46 and 47 and during rotation are adapted to engage with the portion of the paper strip which is positioned below the flaring upper portions and 26 of the guides. The rotation of the shaft 42 is so timed with respect to the travel of the feed belts that the shaft 42 makes a one-half revolution while the belts are traveling a distance corresponding to the space between adjacent cross slats, so that the rollers 48 enter the spaces between the slats in timed relation with respect to the movement of the slats. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings such roller 48 enters the space between the slats above a p ir of slats held in gripping engagement with the paper strip and coming to horizontal position prior to the engagement of the strip by the pair of slats entering between the flaring portions 25 and 26 of the guides and leaves the space between the slats before the upper pair of slats comes to a positionopposite the shaft 42, so as not to interfere with the travel of the feed belts.

As shownin Fig. 2 each roller 48 comes into enga ement withthe paper strip before the pair of slats entering the tapering upper ends of the guide have been brought into engagement with. the paper strip, and moves to the horizontal position shown in Fig. l before said pair of slats are brought into gripping engagement with the paper. Just as the arms 46 and 47 are brought into horizontal position or immediately thereafter, the pair of slats entering the flaring portions 25 and 26 of the guides is brought'into gripping engagement with thepaper strip. The engagement of the roller 48 with the paper strip defleets the paper strip laterally, as shown in Fig, 1 sothat when the upper pair of slats is brought into engagement with the paper strip there is a slight bow in the paper strip between the two pairs of slats gripping the paper. The deflection of the paper strip between the pairs of gripping elements increases the length of the strip between the two pairs of gripping elements so that the amount of paper fed to the folding machine is increased by the amount of excess paper held between the two pairs of gripping elements. In other words the paper strip is advanced slightly with respect to each pair of gripping elements before the gripping elements are brought into engagement with the strip, and the amount of paper fed to the.

folding machine is slightly inexcess of that which would be normally delivered by the feed belts.

It will be apparent that by adjusting the shaft 42 toward or away from the paper strip the amount of deflection of the paper strip may be increased or decreased, and means is, therefore, provided for adjusting the shaft 42 toward or away from thepaper strip during operation of the machine. has an extension 50 which is connected at its lower end by a ball and socket joint 51 with the rod 52 which is horizontally disposed and which extends into a bearing bracket 53. The rod 52, which is mounted for endwise movement in the bracket 53, is held against turning movement by means of a pin 54 secured in the bracket and extending through a longitudinal slot 55 in the rod. The rod 52 has an outer threaded end 56 which is received in a tubular threaded sleeve57 which is journalled in the bearing braclret 53 and held against endwise movement thereby. At its outer end the sleeve 57 has a hand wheel 58 attached thereto b 1 means of which it may be turned manual y to move the rod 52 inwardly or outwardly to shiftthe arm40and4l and move the shaft 42 toward or away from the paper strip to increase or decrease the amount of deflection imparted to the strip by the rollers 48. i i

The sprocket chains 15, '16 and 43 are preferably rovided with tighteningdevices in the form of idler sprockets 59 which are adjustable to take up any slack in the chains.

The folding machine may be driven byany suitable means such as a gear 50 meshing with the gear 36 and driven by a belt pulleyfiland the gearing'connecting the shafts 2 and 3 of the folding mechanism with the two feed belts is such as to move the feed belts at a speed closely approximating the peripheral speed of the folding element of the folding machine but preferably slightly slower so that a small deflection of the paper'strip by the adjustable deflecting device is necessary to maintain the correct rate of feed. -With the speeds so correlated the deflecting device may be adjusted in either direction from. its normalpos1t1ontom1nutely IDCIGQSB. or decrease The arm 40 1' the rate of feed to correct the registry between the paper strip and folding mechanism. V

The paper strips ordinarily have printed thereon at regularly spaced intervals short lines which indicate the proper positions for the folding creases. An operator standing in front of the machine can view the strip as it is being delivered from the folding machine, andwhenever the crease linesbegin to shift away from the printed lines on the outer surface of the strip he can adjust the hand wheel 58 one way or the other to shift the shaft 42 toward the strip to increase the rate of feed or away from the strip to decrease the rate of feed until the crease lines are brought back to proper position.

It will be apparent that the present invention provides a very simple, convenient and inexpensive attachment for sheet feeding machines by which the rate of feed may be varied as desired during operation, that the feed varying device is capable of effecting very minute variations in the rate of feed and that the feed may be accurately controlled while the feed mechanism is operating at high speeds.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the particular form of apparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure set forth, are presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and that various 1nodifications of said apparatus and procedure can be made without departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for feeding sheet material comprising a plurality of gripping devices, means for moving said devices successively in spaced relation and in the same direction into engagement with a strip of sheet material to feed the same and for releasing each gripping device from the strip subsequent to the engagement of another gripping device with the strip, and means for variably deflecting the strip between successive gripping devices to vary the rate of feed of the strip.

2. A device for feeding sheet material comprising a plurality of gripping devices, means for moving said devices successively in spaced relation and in the same d1rect1on into engagement with a strip of sheet material to 7 feed the same and for. releasing each gripping 3. A device for feeding sheet material comprising a plurality of gripping devices, means for moving said devices successively in spaced relation and in the same direction into engagement with a strip of sheetmaterialto feed the same and for releasing each gripprising a plurality of gripping devices, means for moving said devices successively in spaced relation and in the same direction into engagement wlth a strip of sheet materlal to feed the same and for releasing each gripping device from the strip subsequent to the engagement of another gripping device with the strip, a rotatably mounted member having an arm engageable with the strip between successive gripping devices, means for rotating said member in timed relation to the feeding device to cause said arm to engage the strip immediately prior to the engagement of .each gripping device with the strip, means for adjusting said rotatably mounted member toward or away from the strip to vary the amount of deflection of the strip. r

5. A device for feeding sheet material comprising a plurality of gripping devices,

-means for moving said devices successively in spaced relation and in the same direction into engagement with a strip of sheet material to feed the same and for releasing each gripping device from the strip subsequent to the engagement of another gripping device with the strip, and means independent of said gripping devices for variably advancing thestrip with respect to each gripping device immediately prior to the engagement of the gripping device with the strip to vary the rate of feed of the strip.

6. A feed device for folding machines comprising a pair of endless belts having opposed parallel runs, said belts having spaced cross slats forgripping a strip of sheet material between them, means for'driving said belts at equal speeds with the opposed runs thereof moving in the same direction, guides I for the opposed runs of said belts for holding the cross slats thereof in gripping engagement with the strip for a distance greater than the length of the space between adjacent slats, means for deflecting the portion strip in advance of a pair of opposed slats immediately prior to the gripping of the strip by said pair of slats, and means for adjusting saiddeflecting means to vary the amount ofadeflection and thereby vary the rate ofrfeed ofthe strip.

' 7. A feeddevice'forfoldingmachines.comprising a pair of endless belts having opposed parallelrn-ns; said belts having spaced cross slats for gripping a strip of sheet material between them, means for driving said belts at equal-speedslwith the opposed-runs thereof moving in the same direction, guides for the opposedruns of said belts for holding the cross slats thereof in gripping. engagement with the strip for a distance greater than the length ofthespace between adjacent slats, a rotary member mounted within one of said belts andhaving'an arm adapted to enter the space-between adjacent slats to engage and deflect the strip, means for rotating said memher in synchronism with the belts, and means for adjusting said member to vary the de flection of the strip and thereby vary the rate of feed of the strip.

8. A feed device for folding machines com prising a pair of endless belts having opposed parallel runs, said belts having spaced cross slats for gripping a strip of sheet ma terial between them, means for driving said belts at equal speeds with the opposed runs thereof moving in the same direction, guides for the opposed runs of said belts for holding the cross slats thereof in gripping engagement with the strip for a distance greater than the length of the space between. adjacent slats, means operating in synchronism with the belts for deflecting the portion of the strip in advance of each pair of opposed slat-s immediately prior to the gripping of the strip by said pair of slats, and manually operable means for adjusting said deflecting means to vary the amount of deflection and thereby vary the rate of feed of the strip.

9. A device for feedin sheet material comprising a pair of endless belts having opposed parallel runs, said belts having spaced cross slats for gripping a strip of sheet material between them, means for driving said belts at equal speeds with the opposed runs thereof moving in the same direction, guides for the opposed runs of said belts for holding the cross slats thereof in gripping engagement with the strip for a distance greater than the length of the space between adjacent pairs of slats, and means for variably advancing the strip with respect to each pair of opposed slats immediately prior to the gripping of the strip by said slats to vary the rate of feed of the strip.

10. A device for feeding sheet material comprising a pair of endless belts having opposed parallel runs, said belts having spaced cross slats for gripping a strip of sheet material between them, means for driving said belts at equal speeds with the opposed runs thereof moving in the same direction, guides for the opposed runs of said belts for holding the cross slats thereof in gripping engagement with the strip for a distance greater than the length of the space between adjacent pairs of'slats, a, rotatable member mounted within one of said belts andhaving an arm adapted to enter the spaces between adjacent slats of the belt and engage said strip, means for ad'- justing said membertoward or away from said strip, and means for driving said member from abelt'in any of its positions of adjustment.

11. The combination with a former for folding a sheet along longitudinal lines and a folding machine for folding the sheet along transverse-lines. of a feed mechanism interposed'between the former and folding machine and operating in timed relation with respect to the folding machine for feeding a strip of sheet material from the former to the foldingmachine, said feeding mechanism having strip gripping devices and being provided with means for successivelyv bringing said devices into grippingengagement with the strip, moving said gripping devices toward the folding machine and releasing each gripping device subsequent to engagement of another gripping device withthe strip, and means for variably deflecting the strip between successive gripping devices to vary the rate of feed of the strip, 12. The combination with a former for folding a sheet along longitudinal lines and a folding machine for folding the sheet along transverse lines, of a feed mechanismint'erposed between the former and folding machine and operating in timed relation with respect to the folding machine for feeding a strip of sheet material from the former to the folding machine, said feeding; mechanism having strip gripping devices andbeing pro vided with means for successively bringing said devices into gripping engagement with the strip, moving said gripping devices toward the folding machine and releasing each gripping device subsequent to engagement of another gripping device with the strip, an adjustably mounted movable deflector engageable with the strip between successive gripping, devices, and means for moving said deflector; into engagement with the strip prior to the engagement of each gripping device with the strip.

13. 'The combination with a former for folding a sheetv alonglongitudinal lines and a folding machine for folding the sheet along transverse lines, of a feed mechanism intel-posed between the former and folding gripping device subsequent to engagement of another gripping device with the strip, a rotatably mounted member having an arm engageable with the strip between successive gripping devices, means for rotating said member in timed relation to the feeeding device to cause said arm to engage thestrip immediately prior to the engagement of the strip by each gripping device, and means for adjusting said rotatably mounted member toward or away from said strip to vary the amount of deflection of said strip.

14. The combination with a former for folding a sheet along longitudinal lines and a folding machine for folding the sheet along transverse lines, of a feed mechanism interposed between the former and folding machine and operating in timed relation with respect to the folding machine for feeding a strip of sheet material from the former to the folding machine, said feeding mechanism having strip gripping devices and being provided with means for successively bringing said devices into gripping engagement with the strip, moving said gripping devices toward the foldingmachine and releasing each gripping device subsequent to engagement of another gripping device with the strip, means movable in synchronism with the gripping devices for deflecting the strip between successive gripping devices, and manually operable means for adjusting said deflecting means to vary the rate of feed.

15. A device for feeding sheet material comprising a plurality of gripping devices, means for engaging said devices successively with a strip of sheet material at points spaced longitudinally of the strip, for moving the gripping devices in the same direction while in engagement with the strip to feed the same and for releasing each gripping device from the strip subsequent to the engagement of another gripping device with the strip, and means for variably deflecting the strip between successive gripping devices to vary the rate of feed of the strip.

16. A device for feeding sheet material comprising a plurality of gripping devices, means for engaging said devices successively with a strip of sheet material at points spaced longitudinally of, the strip, for moving the gripping devices-in the same direction while in engagement with the strip to feed the same and for releasing each gripping device from the strip subsequent to the engagement of another gripping'device with the strip, a de flector mounted for'movement into and out of engagement with a portion of the strip between successive gripping devices, means for moving said deflector into engagement with the strip prior to the engagement of each gripping device with the strip, and means for adjusting said deflector to vary the amount of deflection of the strip.

17.A device for feeding sheet material means independent of said gripping device's for variably advancing the strip with respect to each gripping device immediately prior to the engagement of the gripping device with the strip to vary the rate of feed of the strip.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE L. FULK. 

